IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jadmsc/v15y2025i9p363-d1749387.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Sexual Appeals in Advertising: The Role of Nudity, Model Gender, and Consumer Response

Author

Listed:
  • Aníta Karen Sigurðardóttir

    (School of Business, University of Iceland, 102 Reykjavik, Iceland)

  • Vaka Vésteinsdóttir

    (Department of Psychology, School of Health Sciences, University of Iceland, 102 Reykjavik, Iceland)

  • Haukur Freyr Gylfason

    (School of Business, University of Iceland, 102 Reykjavik, Iceland)

Abstract

This study examines whether sexual appeals, specifically nudity (body coverage) and model gender, shape consumer responses to advertising. Guided by the Elaboration Likelihood Model, we test whether these factors operate as peripheral cues when argument strength is minimal (fragrance advertising). In a 3 (model gender: male, female, both) × 2 (clothing: swimwear vs. outdoor wear) between-subjects experiment (n = 195), participants viewed one of six real advertisements from the same luxury fragrance brand featuring the same professional models. Nudity level did not affect attitudes toward the ad, brand attitude, or purchase intention. By contrast, ads depicting both a male and a female model produced small but reliable omnibus improvements in brand attitude and purchase intention relative to single-model ads; attitudes toward the ad were unaffected. Mediation tests indicated that these differences were not explained by attitude toward the ad or brand attitude, consistent with peripheral-cue processes rather than the classic ad → brand attitude sequence. Practically, the results challenge the assumption that “more nudity” is persuasive and suggest that, in low-argument contexts, gender-balanced model composition can be a modest, context-dependent cue. Advertisers should prioritize brand/category fit, pretest in the intended media environment (and locale), and expect incremental rather than large effects.

Suggested Citation

  • Aníta Karen Sigurðardóttir & Vaka Vésteinsdóttir & Haukur Freyr Gylfason, 2025. "Sexual Appeals in Advertising: The Role of Nudity, Model Gender, and Consumer Response," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-16, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jadmsc:v:15:y:2025:i:9:p:363-:d:1749387
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3387/15/9/363/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3387/15/9/363/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Zulei Qin & Shugang Li & Ziyi Li & Yanfang Wei & Ning Wang & Jiayi Zhang & Meitong Liu & He Zhu, 2025. "The Temporal Spillover Effect of Green Attribute Changes on Eco-Hotel Location Scores: The Moderating Role of Consumer Environmental Involvement," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-20, July.
    2. Beales, Howard & Craswell, Richard & Salop, Steven C, 1981. "The Efficient Regulation of Consumer Information," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 24(3), pages 491-539, December.
    3. Ferraro, Carla & Hemsley, Alicia & Sands, Sean, 2023. "Embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI): Considerations and opportunities for brand managers," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 66(4), pages 463-479.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. J. K. Pappalardo, 2022. "Economics of Consumer Protection: Contributions and Challenges in Estimating Consumer Injury and Evaluating Consumer Protection Policy," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 45(2), pages 201-238, June.
    2. Wiser, R. H., 2000. "The role of public policy in emerging green power markets: an analysis of marketer preferences," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 4(2), pages 177-212, June.
    3. J. Collins, 2011. "Mortgage Mistakes? Demographic Factors Associated with Problematic Loan Application Behaviors," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 32(4), pages 586-599, December.
    4. Omri Ben-Shahar & Eric A. Posner, 2011. "The Right to Withdraw in Contract Law," The Journal of Legal Studies, University of Chicago Press, vol. 40(1), pages 115-148.
    5. Daniel W. Elfenbein & Raymond Fisman & Brian McManus, 2019. "Does Cheap Talk Affect Market Outcomes? Evidence from eBay," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 11(4), pages 305-326, October.
    6. Nocella, Giuseppe & Stefani, Gianluca & Romano, Donato, "undated". "Preferences, trust and willingness to pay for food information: An analysis of the Italian Market," 2011 International Congress, August 30-September 2, 2011, Zurich, Switzerland 114606, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    7. Ram Singh, 2009. "RISK, INFORMATIONAL ASYMMETRY AND PRODUCT LIABILITY: An Enquiry Into Conflicting Objectives," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(1), pages 89-112, February.
    8. Stéphan Marette & Jutta Roosen & Sandrine Blanchemanche, 2008. "Taxes and subsidies to change eating habits when information is not enough: an application to fish consumption," Journal of Regulatory Economics, Springer, vol. 34(2), pages 119-143, October.
    9. Mark Bergen & Daniel Levy & Sourav Ray & Paul H. Rubin & Benjamin Zeliger, 2008. "When Little Things Mean a Lot: On the Inefficiency of Item-Pricing Laws," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 51(2), pages 209-250, May.
    10. Bruce Lyons & Robert Sugden, 2021. "Transactional fairness and pricing practices in consumer markets," Working Paper series, University of East Anglia, Centre for Competition Policy (CCP) 2021-03, Centre for Competition Policy, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK..
    11. Umit G. Gurun & Gregor Matvos & Amit Seru, 2016. "Advertising Expensive Mortgages," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 71(5), pages 2371-2416, October.
    12. Ram Singh, 2002. "Characterization of Efficient Product Liability Rules: When Consumers are Imperfectly Informed," Working papers 110, Centre for Development Economics, Delhi School of Economics.
    13. Louise May Hassan & Miriam McGowan & Edward Shiu, 2025. "They’re not my people: When inclusive marketing backfires," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 53(2), pages 563-587, March.
    14. Brad R. Taylor, 2016. "Exit and the Epistemic Quality of Voice," Economic Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(2), pages 133-144, June.
    15. Roman Inderst, 2008. "'Irresponsible Lending' With A Better Informed Lender," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 118(532), pages 1499-1519, October.
    16. Kenneth S. Corts, 2013. "Prohibitions on False and Unsubstantiated Claims: Inducing the Acquisition and Revelation of Information through Competition Policy," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 56(2), pages 453-486.
    17. Harvey E. Lapan & Giancarlo Moschini, 2004. "Innovation and Trade with Endogenous Market Failure: The Case of Genetically Modified Products," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 86(3), pages 634-648.
    18. Christine Jolls & Cass R. Sunstein, 2006. "Debiasing through Law," The Journal of Legal Studies, University of Chicago Press, vol. 35(1), pages 199-242, January.
    19. Pope, Rulon D., 1985. "The Impact Of Information On Consumer Preferences," Research on Effectiveness of Agricultural Commodity Promotion, April 9-10, 1985, Arlington, Virginia 279489, Regional Research Projects > NECC-63: Research Committee on Commodity Promotion.
    20. Navdeep S. Sahni & Harikesh S. Nair, 2020. "Sponsorship Disclosure and Consumer Deception: Experimental Evidence from Native Advertising in Mobile Search," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 39(1), pages 5-32, January.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jadmsc:v:15:y:2025:i:9:p:363-:d:1749387. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.